A future to be lived
by rhapsodybree
Summary: The future holds a whole lot of possibilities and opportunities for Katie Lloyd and Jerry Espenson. Katie/Jerry.


Disclaimer: I own nothing, except my own creations.

**Author's Note**: This fic disregards any form of takeover of Crane, Poole and Schmidt.

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Alan Shore was a man on a mission. He had a meeting with Warren Liddelow, internet pornography extraordinaire, and was missing his second chair. _Where in the name of all that is good and holy was Katie Lloyd?_

Stepping into Carl Sack's office, Alan makes his arrival with a bang. Carl drops his glasses down his nose as he raises his eyebrow in question. 'Seen Katie?'

'Can't say I have,' Carl responded slowly. 'She missing?'

'Hmm,' said Alan, already on his way out the door as Carl looks at his rapidly retreating back, before pushing his glasses back up his nose and turning his attention back to the paperwork in front of him.

Passing Jerry Espenson in the conference room where he is avidly taking on a character in preparation of an upcoming court case – and seeing no blonde haired lawyer in the room with him – Alan presses on.

Swinging around the doorframe into Shirley Schmidt's office, he asks if she'd seen that particular blonde lawyer either. 'Sorry Alan,' said Shirley, covering the phone. 'Did you try Jerry's office?'

'Jerry's in the conference room alone,' said Alan. 'Thanks anyway.'

'Good luck,' called Shirley at Alan's retreating back, before turning her attention back to the phone.

Alan hadn't planned on asking Denny if he'd seen his second chair, but walking by his best friend's office, he was hard pressed not to stick his head in. There stood Denny Crane with a bevy of blondes around him. 'Denny, what in God's name are you doing?' said Alan stepping into his office.

'Alan, my man!' exclaimed Denny as he stepped out from the cradle of blondes. 'Come in! Come in! Wait til you hear... Warren 'Little Low' Liddelow is here. Mr Porn himself!'

'Yes Denny, I know,' said Alan patiently. 'I'm representing him.' Denny ignores this response as he carries on talking, hands waving about madly in his excitement. 'Think he'll see potential in me?' he asked gleefully.

'As what?' asked Alan bemused. 'A porn star? That's high aspirations - even by your lofty standards Denny.' Standing with a hand on his hip, Alan runs his hand across his brow. 'And besides the whole reason Mr Liddelow is here to see us anyway is to face claims of paedophilia. Old men and young girls, Denny.'

'Pfft,' said Denny waving off Alan. 'That's nothing. I could tell some stories!' Turning back to his 'concubine', Denny turns his head to look at Alan over his shoulder. 'Going to join me?'

'Maybe later,' said Alan leaving the office. 'I've got to find Katie.'

'Check the ladies,' yelled Denny after him. 'Females always seem to have an unnatural need to be in there several times daily.' Waving his thanks at his suggestion, Alan left the office as he heard Denny's shout of 'Hello ladies!' _No doubt he was having a good time_, snorted Alan.

Thinking there might actually be some merit to Denny's suggestion, Alan heads for the toilet, and sure enough the door opens and there stands Katie Lloyd – a considerably paler and sicker looking Katie Lloyd than he was used to though.

'Are you okay?' asked Alan in concern as Katie lifts her head. His question is brushed off in the usual brusque manner of the lawyer in front of him as she pushes by him. 'I'm fine. Let's just get to the meeting.'

Hoping that whatever bug Katie was fighting wouldn't crop up in their meeting, Alan made the introductions and the meeting commenced. But luck was not with him today. Midway through the meeting Katie dashes out with a mumbled 'Sorry,' hand over her mouth, as she disappeared from the room, and doesn't return.

Alan concluded the meeting on his own, saw Mr Liddelow to the elevator with a smile and a wave before making his way to the ladies. Pushing aside a lady about to enter without apology, he enters the bathroom and locks the door.

While he can see no sign of his fellow lawyer, he can hear plenty. It would appear that Ms Katie Lloyd did indeed have something left in her worth throwing up.

He wasn't the world's smartest man when it came to women – and let's face it, between him and Denny they'd had a fair few train wrecks and scares in their lifetime – but he knew the signs when they presented themselves. Katie has been looking thinner and sicker than ever over the past few weeks, and so when she came out of a stall, Alan just asks her outright. 'Are you pregnant?'

Startling at the sudden sound, and then coming to the slow realisation that Alan Shore was in the toilet with her – the ladies' toilet to be specific – Katie shakes her head as she heads for the washbasin. Splashing water over her face, she looks in the mirror: Yep, Alan Shore was still standing there, arms now crossed across his body, clearly waiting for an answer.

'Yeah,' said Katie resignedly turning her body to him. 'I think I am.'

'Is that such a bad thing?' responded Alan rhetorically, dropping his arms. 'Does Jerry know?'

'Jerry. How the hell am I supposed to tell him – what do I tell him?' said Katie, pacing the bathroom floor, the beginning of tears in her eyes.

'Hey, it will be okay. Jerry will be fine,' reassured Alan quickly, entirely uncomfortable with the prospect of a female - particularly the prospect of _this_ normally composed female - crying. 'Hell, the man will probably jump on every couch in the damn building and shout it out to anyone listening.'

Katie laughs ruefully through her tears. 'Let me be certain first.' Alan nodded. 'Better make it soon though - I can only do so much covering up for you.' As Katie makes to move past him for the door, Alan grips her shoulders and looks her in the eye, shaking her slightly. 'Trust me Katie. He'll be happy.'

'Thanks Alan,' said Katie with a small smile. 'The baby will be lucky to have you as an uncle.' Leaving the toilet, she leaves behind an esteemed lawyer with his jaw dropped. Shaking himself out of the unusal state he's found himself in, Alan leaves the ladies', hardly noticing the strange look a female flashes him as he passes her on his way out.

Two days later, Alan Shore's prediction comes true when Jerry Espenson runs into his office and begins jumping on his couch with a loud yells of 'Baby! Baby!'


End file.
